Sleepless in Edmond

What the junk?!  I can NOT sleep.  That is so weird.  I usually never have trouble falling asleep.  Oh well.  Might as well blog...

I have been meaning to write since last Wednesday because we've had some big happenings in our family.  I've got good news and terrible news.  Let's save the best for last, shall we?   

Most of you know our dog, Grace (who will be 12 in September), has been an AMAZING pet but has always been plagued with health issues.  Itchy skin problems, ear infections and hematomas, eye infections, UTIs, heart murmur, etc, etc.  It seems like everything that is a known weakness in the Boxer breed has reared its ugly little head with our Grace.  We have powered through all that mess and she has been, by far, the best dog I've every known.  Well, a few months ago when Ashley was out of town, Grace had a grand mal seizure late one night.  It scared me BIG TIME.  She had never had one and it was absolutely horrific.  I took her to the vet the next day and they ran tests but didn't find anything obvious (brain tumor).  Since then, she has had 5 more and they are getting closer together and longer in length.  I have called the vet each time, but really, there's nothing they can do other than give her anti-seizure medication.  On top of that, last week she started randomly nearly falling over.  She's gotten increasingly more nervous as she's aged (and Silas has gotten louder and faster), and I just thought she was standing too long and getting tired.  When I took her to the vet, she was really nervous and nearly falling over every few minutes.  After some tests, the vet said they are called syncopal episodes.  She apparently has cardiomyopathy which means that her heart is weakening and the falling over is actually like fainting.  Her heart is not pumping enough oxygen to keep her from passing out.  :'(  With all of this horribleness being said, when she's not nervous or in the throughs of a seizure, she is acting completely normal.  She still eats, plays, and sleeps normally.  The vet says that the seizures can make her muscles sore, but other than that, she's probably not hurting.  At the first sign that she is suffering at all, I will have to make a heart wrenching decision.  I know it's going to be soon and I just honestly want her transition to be as peaceful and painless as possible.  I would love for her to just fall asleep and go while she dreams of something sweet.  I just can't imagine my life without her.  Eleven years ago, just she and I were our own little family.  It's so hard to accept that her time has come.  For now, I'm loving on her every chance I get and making sure to hug and kiss her each night.  And oh yeah, she's been getting canned food every day since last Wednesday.  :')   

Her tummy was full after a delectable meal of dry food mixed with Beef/Liver/Chicken combo.

Let me dry my eyes so I can tell you the good news...


For those who have been reading recently, you know we've struggled with budgeting and finances.  Ashley is no longer traveling (yay!) and he's been doing land work from the house.  We're grateful for the income, but there is no guarantee of how long the work will last.  He submitted resumes to a few companies in February and has been on several interviews.  I am beyond ecstatic to announce that he has been offered a position as a Division Order Analyst with Chesapeake Energy.  Hallelujah!!  This is specifically an answer to our prayers!  He starts on Monday 4/16 and (brace yourselves, y'all, this is the best part) we'll have BENEFITS!  Did you hear that?!  Health, Dental, Vision, and Life Insurance.  And retirement.  (tearing up again)  WOOOOOHOOOOOOO!!!!  Thank GOD!!  Seriously, I can't be more excited or proud of him for landing this job.  He loves the oil and gas business and is very happy to be going to work in-house for a large company.  However, we'll have a few changes to make before next Monday, namely his wardrobe.  No more jeans!  ;)  Saturday, I picked up a few things for him and made him try them on.  

Doesn't he look handsome?  

So, anyway.  That's my big news.  Thanks for reading and journeying with me.  Will write again soon...